



The live draft show in Malta has set the BLAST Bounty 2026 Finals quarter-finals, with the bottom seeds choosing opponents and locking the first two matchdays. Check the picks, the numbers, and the exact start times, then mark the matches you do not want to miss.
In the quarter-final draft, the four lowest seeds got to choose who they wanted to face from the higher-seeded teams. Think of it like picking opponents in a ranked lobby, but on stage and with a full best-of-three series on the line.
| Quarter-final | Why this opponent was chosen | Key roster note | Recent qualifier result (best performer) |
| Liquid vs Falcons | Liquid had first pick and chose Falcons | Falcons use Matej “NucleonZ” Trajkoski for Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin, and coach Danny “zonic” Sørensen is not with them | Liquid beat Gentle Mates 2-1 (7-13, 13-9, 13-3), ultimate 42-32 (1.25). Falcons beat Monte 2-0 (13-10 Nuke, 13-7 Mirage), m0NESY 42-25 (1.75). |
| HEROIC vs FURIA | HEROIC chose FURIA after weighing options | HEROIC are without AWPer Alimzhan “Alkaren” Bitimbay, using Simon “yxngstxr” Boije | HEROIC beat paiN 2-0 (13-6 Nuke, 16-14 Mirage), nilo 44-28 (1.48). FURIA beat FUT 2-1 (13-10, 5-13, 13-11), molodoy 63-40 (1.46). |
| PARIVISION vs Spirit | PARIVISION picked Spirit as the third choice | Ivan “zweih” Gogin chose his former team and hinted at anti-strats | PARIVISION beat Astralis 2-0 (13-1 Dust2, 13-8 Ancient), zweih 36-15 (1.92). Spirit beat Inner Circle 2-0 (13-8 Ancient, 13-5 Dust2), donk 42-25 (1.80). |
| GamerLegion vs Vitality | GamerLegion were left with Vitality | Milan “hypex” Polowiec joked nobody expected it | GamerLegion beat Aurora 2-1 (16-13, 10-13, 13-5), hypex 55-37 (1.33). Vitality beat EYEBALLERS 2-0 (19-16 Anubis, 13-8 Overpass), ZywOo 49-30 (1.37). |
Liquid’s pick came with a twist: Keith “NAF” Markovic said he wanted FURIA first, but the team vote went to Falcons. The gamble is that stand-ins can break team structure, even if Falcons still have takeover players like NiKo and m0NESY.
HEROIC’s choice also reflects confidence in preparation. Coach Tobias “TOBIZ” Theo explained they discussed other paths, then settled on FURIA as a matchup where an upset felt realistic, even if online results can hide details.
PARIVISION choosing Spirit is the most personal call. Zweih knows Spirit’s habits, and Spirit’s Boris “magixx” Vorobiev said the pick was expected based on the draft order. That kind of familiarity can feel like playing against someone who already knows your favorite mid-round moves.
The quarter-finals are split across two days in Malta, and every match is a best-of-three. For CS2 players, that format matters because teams can adjust after map one, change their CT setups, and punish predictable mid-round calls. At the same time, there is no safety net: lose a series and the tournament ends immediately.
Thursday (22 Jan) starts with two matchups that were picked in the draft because they looked tempting or risky. Liquid open against a Falcons roster that is not at full strength, and then HEROIC play FURIA in the late match. Friday (23 Jan) finishes the round with two more series, including a tough draw for GamerLegion against Vitality and a spicy PARIVISION vs Spirit meeting with extra history behind it.
Once these series begin, talk about the draft stops and the real work starts on the veto. Catching map one live helps, because early tendencies often show which team is ready to control pace and which team is still searching for answers.


